Game pieces



Feb. 17; 1959 F. ALATORRE GAME PIECES Filed June 18, 1957 4.7 ZZHZOZ INVENTOR flurzazkaaAZaZa/v'e ATTORNEX? 2,873,976 .Bgtented Feb.,17;,1959

GAME PIECES Francisco Alatorre, San Antonio, Tex.

Original application December 4, 1956, Serial No. 626,113. Divided and this application June 18, 1957, Serial No. 666,365

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-137) The present invention relates to game pieces and more particularly to game pieces which are so constructed that they may be converted or changed to present to the players indicia necessary for playing a variety of games.

This application of a division of my application filed December 4, 1956, Serial No. 626,113, entitled, Multiplay Game.

One object of the present invention is to provide game pieces as above stated so that the necessity of providing a multiplicity of set of game pieces normally required in playing each different game is eliminated.

A further object is the construction of game pieces so that the panels through which the indicia is visible are protected against scratching as the pieces are moved over the playing surfaces.

Still another object is to provide means for facilitating the removal of the indicia bearing member from their enclosing casings.

An additional object is to provide game pieces having removable and convertible indicia bearing strips which are divided into three panels of approximately the size of the transparent panel of its casing and which may be folded to present the desired panel for different games for viewing through. the casing.

Other objects and advantages will become evident as the description proceeds, it being understood that there is illustrated merely a preferred form and that changes may be made in various details so long as they fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of the game pieces of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the front face of the foldable, sectional insert before it is folded for insertion into its casing, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but of the reverse side of the insert.

In the drawing the numeral indicates generally, one of the game pieces. Each piece consists of an elongated, rectangular, relatively fiat, transparent casing 11, which is of hollow construction for the reception of a foldable strip or insert which bears the indicia for the plurality of games to be played.

The casing 11 is relatively fiat and is provided at its opposite longitudinal edges with ribs 12 extending in opposite directions from the faces of the casing. By this construction the game pieces are supported by the 'ribs with the flat faces of the pieces spaced from the Supporting surface on which the piece is laid so that as the pieces are slid, in playing the various games, the fiat faces will not be scratched or marred and thereby obscure the indicia contained within the casing.

As shown in Fig. 3 the casing is open at one end as at .2 13 and closets at la lh zanda asser or an aperture 15 which extends through the end wall 14 and .communicates with the interior of the casing 11.

he foldable strip 16 folded as shown is divided into 3 sections 17, 18 and 19 each of an extent to approximately fill the interior of the casing 11 when inserted therein and to expose an edge thereof through the aperture 15. By means of this construction the strip 16 may be removed from the casing 11 by means of any instrumentality that can be inserted through the aperture 15.

As indicated each section of the foldable strip 16 bears indicia required for a different game such for instance dominoes on section 19, ordinary playing card on section 18, it being noted that indicia are carried on both sides of the strip so that it may be folded in various ways to expose the proper indicia for a given game through the face of the casing 11. The central section 17 may be left blank or contain any desired indicia or advertising matter so that when the strip is positioned in the casing with the blank exposed the indicia appearing on the strip will not be visible through the back thereof it being understood that the strip is composed of opaque material.

It will be understood, of course, that a variety of different foldable strips having other indicia thereon may be substituted for the one illustrated and in this manner a large number of games can be played with the same game pieces.

While the casing is preferably made of light transparent plastic, it is within the purview of this invention to make the casing of other material so long as it includes a transparent panel through which the indicia may be seen and this panel may be on only one or both faces of the casing.

Each panel or section of the insert 16 is of such dimensions that when the folded strip is inserted in the casing 11 it corresponds in size with the transparent panel in the casing 11.

The strip 16 is made of any suitable material but should have at least a small degree of inherent resiliency so that when in folded condition it has a tendency to spring back to its unfolded condition. By this construction the strip yieldingly and frictionally engages the inner walls of the casing 11 and cannot fall or slide out of the casing accidentally.

From the foregoing it is clear that a game piece has been provided which may simply and quickly be converted to permit playing of a plurality of games requiring different indicia and that the change may be made without the use of any complicated tools or other instruments. As a matter of fact, the insert may be removed by forcing a fingernail into the recess 15 to eject the insert from the casing so that its other end may be grasped and pulled therefrom.

By means of these game pieces storage space may be conserved and only a relatively few pieces take the place of a multitude of pieces that would otherwise be required in playing the various games.

I claim:

A game piece for playing a multiplicity of different games comprising a fiat, rectangular, transparent, hollow enclosing casing closed at one end and open at the other, and a folded strip having game indicia thereon within said casing with the indicia exposed through the face thereof, said closed end being provided with an aperture extending into both side walls of the casing for the reception of an instrumentality to eject the strip from the casing, said strip being divided into three sections bearing different indicia on both sides and each section being of substantially the area of the interior of the casing, said folded strip being inherently resilient so as to yieldingly and frictionally engege the interior walls of 2,054,309 the casing to prevent accidental removal from said casing. 2,592,122

References Cited in ihe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 5 502,089 Bird July 25, 1893 836,688 Johnson Nov. 27; 1906 Vaser Sept. 15, 1936 De Jesus Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN; PATENTS Australia Nov. 25, 1936 Great Britain May 27, 1940 

